Attachment for gas-engine crank-cases.



E. EPHANS. ATTAGHMBNT FOR GAS ENGINE CRANK GASES.

APPLICATION TILED APB.5, 1910.

Patented June 6, 1911.

UNITED I STATES PATENT; QFFIGE.

EDMUND E. HANS, or nmnnaroms, mmnnsom.

ATTACHMENT FOR GAS-ENGINE CRANK-CASES.

" Specification of Iietterslatent.

. 5. Application filed April 5, 1910. Serial No. 553,665.

provide means by which a uniform supply of oil can be maintained at all times in the crank case of the engine. This supply in engines, using the splash method of lubrication, often varies and where a gravity feed is relied upon, the driver is often deceived and assumes that. there is an ample supply of o il inthe crank case, while, in fact, it may have become so low as to cause insuflicient lubrication. With my present invention, I am able to maintain a constant supply in the crank case with little effort on the part of tion 1 with said crank case and means for} forcing the oil from the reservoir intothe ."35.

the, driver, the level of the oil being positively indicated by-ithe indicating device of my application before referred to.

The invention consists generally in a crank case, an indicating device. therefor. and an oil tank or reservoir having a, pipe conneccrank case to maintain the desired level therein." I V In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section of, the forward portion of an automobile illustrating the application of my invention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view transversely of the crank shaft and case. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing the mechanism for transmitting the movement of the float in the crank case to the indicator hand. Fig. 4 is a front view of the indicator dial. Fig. 5.is a detail sectional view of the float move.

' ment transmitting mechanism.

'In the drawing, 2 represents the forward portion of an automobile, 3 a gas engine mounted thereon provided with a crank case 4 and a crank shaft 5. The bottom of the crankcase as usual in engines of this type, forms a receptacle for lubricating oil, which is engaged by the revolving crank shaft and attachments and thrown thereby onto the worklng parts of the mechanism inclosed with the case. This is generally known as the splash form of-lubricat-ion. On one side of the crank case I provide a well or reservoir 6 formed integrally with'the crankcase 'or not as preferred, and connecting therewith through a port 7.-' A supply of oil in the well 6 flowing through the port 7 will seek its level in the bottom of the crank .case. The bottom of-this well is preferably below the bottom of the crank case'and-the well is adapted to contain a considerable supply of oil admitted thereto} by a means which I will hereinafter describe in detail The top of the well-is'provided with an up right pipe 8 on the upper end of which is mounted a horizontal pipe 9 projecting backwardly through the dashboard 10 of the car and provided with an indicating dial 11. A rod 12 is arrangedin the pipe 9 and carries an indicating hand 13 and a pinion.

14. A rack bar 15 is arranged in the pipe 8 meshing with the teeth of the pinion 14 and held in engagement therewith by a pin 16.- The rack bar extends down through the pipe 8 and is provided at its lower end with a float 17 which rides on' the body of oil in the well 6 and moves up and down there with.

The level of the oil in the well .6 being the same asthat in the crankcase, it is evident that the operator of the car can, at a glance, determine the quantity of oil in the case and whether there is suflicient amount for proper lubrication. The" oil I in the .case will .be

Iatented J'une e, -'1911.;

thrown against the walls thereof as the crank revolves and if the float depended within the case proper, its fluctuations would be so frequent and extreme that it would be diflicult for the driver of the 'car to ascertain with any degree of certainty, how much oil was contained in the case. By providing a well at one side of the casing,'I avoid this difliculty, as a comparatively still body of oil will be contained therein and will maintain its level inthe case and being slowly fed through the port 7-to the case will be more uniform in its level and will support the float with less fluctuation.

To avoid the use of'the gravity sight feed, usually employed andgenerally found to be unreliable, I provide a pipe 18 connecting 'with the upper portion of the well 6 and leading to an'oil tank 19. Check valves 20 and 21 are provided in the pipe 18 and a pump 22 is interposed between the valves and 21, having its plunger 23 within convenient reach of the driver and adapted to I a be operated to force a supply of 011 from the tank 19 into the well 6. This will be .done whenever the operator of the car discovers that the float has fallen to a point in the well where it indicates that there is in suflicient oil in' the crank case to insure proper lubrication. It will then only take a few moments of time to force a quantity of the oil from the supply tank into the well and renew the supply in the crank case.

I do not wish in this application to be confined to the precise mechanism employed for carrying out my invention as I am aware that it is capable of various modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a motor driven vehicle having a crank case adapted to con:

tain a supply of oil, of an indicator hand Vehicle having a crank caseand' a well com municating therewith and adapted to conta1n a supply ofoil, the oil in sald well flowmg mto sald crank case until the oil in said case and well is on the same level, a float arranged in said well, an indicator hand and crank case, and an indicating vvehicle having an engine and cran dial, means operatively connecting said indicator hand with said float, and an oil force feed device connected with said well.

4. The combination, with a motor driven vehicle having a crank case adapted to contain a supply of oil, of means located near the drivers seat for supplying oil to sald device, including a float, adapted to rise and fall with the level of the oil in said case and havinga suitable indicating means connected therewith.

5-. The combination with a motor driven' vehicle, of a gas enginehaving a crank case, a well adapted to contain a supply of 011 and communicating with said crank case, a float provided in said well, an indicator hand and dial operatively connected with said float, a pipe leading into the upper portion of said well and extending backwardly therefrom,

an oil supply tank communicating with said pipe and a pump having suitable check valves inserted into said pipe and within convenient reach of the driver of the car, for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with a motor driven case adapted to contain a supply of oil, of means for indicating the height of the 011 1n said case, an oil supply tank having a p1 e connection with said case, and a pump avlng suitable check valves and located near the drivers seat and adapted to force 011 from said tank into said case, for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of April 1910.

EDMUND E. HANS.

Witnesses:

.' L. C. CRONEN, J A. BYRNES. 

